


The Escape Room

by grassyplain



Category: 12 Dancing Princesses (Fairy Tale), Disney - All Media Types, Original Work, The Kingdom (2007)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Circus, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Disney, Escape, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Male-Female Friendship, Mulan (1998) References, Slow Burn, Tags Are Fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-27 23:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17171777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grassyplain/pseuds/grassyplain
Summary: What happens when you wake up in a dark circus, and a ringmaster walks up to you, telling you that the only way to get home is to escape from ten rooms?





	1. The Beginning

I woke up, standing in some sort of stadium, completely dark except for the circular field, which dimly shone with tones of purple and blue and a light sprinkling of yellowish-white light dotting the floor. 

The stage consisted of acrobats. No. The stage consisted of women who were sensually caressing weird structures with their body and the of really tall, really buff men, quietly walking around the women as if they were at a museum. A museum filled with women sensually caressing weird structures.

The last thing I remembered was blanket shopping in Dillards, and laughing at candy canes with my little sister. We had been having a jolly good time, laughing at the ugly sweaters, the outrageous gifts, and the frantic last-minute shoppers. I had tricked my sister and my mother into taking the elevator onto the fifth floor… and after that, I don’t remember anything. Either I passed out and was hallucinating, or this was real life and I had somehow been brought here. Given the vividness of the scenes around me, my real, raw emotions, etc., it was real life. I couldn’t help thinking if this was the work of The Kingdom. The mythical Kingdom, who arose out of the ashes of Great Britain 200 years ago, whose cruel reign has haunted the world ever since it’s monarchy terrorized not only its own nation, but other nations as well. They were the reason some of my Chinese Relatives had fled to America, where they thought it was the safest. 

But now I was at this acrobats show. I walked onto the stage, seeing just buff men and… Marcy? What was she doing here?

I got distracted by a lamp post, weirdly placed in the middle of the stage. To my right, a woman was pole dancing, aka sensually caressing a long, hollow metal rod. 

“Marcy!” I shouted, running up to the girl who was watching the pole dancer. I didn’t know she was into that. But, when I ran up to her, she was already being led away by a tall ringmaster. Somebody tapped on my shoulder. 

“Watch me dance?” the pole dancer said, trying to sensually caress my shoulder. 

“No thanks.” I said, turning away, to go find Marcy. But she had already disappeared. 

Her and I were the only two teenagers, mostly just young and old men frequenting this place. Was this some sort of horror circus?

“What is this place?” I asked the pole dancer, who was now sensually caressing her pole again, as if it were her lover or something. Maybe she had an object fetish. 

Looking past the pole dancer, I narrowly avoided the annoying jacked men in the corner, pounding their chests and doing push-ups. Was this some sort of athletics show? Was I going to be put in a fighting pit?

Sitting on the lamppost, I looked around, trying to find the exit for a good couple of minutes. What exactly, was this place? 

“Welcome to the Escape Rooms.” said a ringmaster, who had appeared out of nowhere in front of me. 

“The Escape Rooms?” I asked.

“A series of challenges in two rooms, some puzzles, some challenges… either way, you’ll have to play!” he said. 

I sighed. I liked playing escape rooms, but I didn’t think I would either like or be playing in these rooms.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do I get if I escape?" I asked, as I jogged to keep up with the man, which made my awesomely long hair fall into my face. 

"You can go home." he said, smiling. "Or you'll go to death's door! Good luck!" He pushed me into a brightly lit room, smelling of dolls and...  
A DISNEY STORE? Was I supposed to set fire to Elsa? Melt her sister for the key? 

A high-pitched scream emnated from the back of the room, making my arm hair stand straight up. Unfortunately, I recognized that scream. It was Marcy, my beloved schoolmate. I ran to the back of the store, almost tripping over a Mickey Mouse teacup set. Marcy was turning purple, Monster Inc Sully purple in the claws of Evil Emperor Zurg, from Toy Story. Zurg was Buzz Lightyear's enemy. Marcy was squirming and choking, coughing up blood as the robot continued to choke her. I had to do something. I grabbed a Mickey Mouse Mug and threw it at Zurg. "Hey, YOU INTERGALACTIC PEASANT!" I shouted, causing Zurg to turn around as it acknowledged me. 

"Who dares insult the Great EMPEROR?" the robot roared, taking out it's green ball shooting gun thing. I ducked under the shelves, watching as Zurg threw Marcy against the wall and came into my general direction. Now, I was kinda lost. What could I possibly do? Taking cover with the Nemo and Dory dolls, I watched in crippling fear as Zurg roamed the store. 

Wait, what was I thinking? I was a freaking Black Belt Karate Kid! I could just roundhouse kick his face off! 

Something told me that that wouldn't work. 

Green plasma balls were fired into the Nemo dolls.

"NOT NEMO, YOU GALACTIC BASTARD!" I said, angrily taking a basket and throwing it at the Zurg, catching it's attention. 

"KILL LITTLE BOY! KILL LITTLE BOY! KILL LITTLE BOY!" said Zurg, angrily gliding towards me.

I was 16, but okay, maybe compared to him, I was a bit small. Just a bit. 

"You invaded my galaxy!" Zurg screamed. 

Wait... I gave Zurg the once-over. Not because I was hot and bothered for Zurg, but because I was noticing the robot's structure, which was the exact same as the movie. Everything seemed to be accurate. Perhaps, if I pretended I was in a Disney Movie, I could trick Zurg! The dumb robot!

"ZURG! BUZZ LIGHTYEAR IS AT THE DOOR!" 

"WHERE?" the robot looked angrily around. 

"HE'S HIDING IN THE FROZEN SECTION!" I shouted, feeling my voice crack. "It's BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!"

Zurg was incensed. Clearly, he hated Buzz Lightyear. I took the time to run over to the cashier and hopefully... I crossed my fingers, praying that a screwdriver would be in the drawers. I had precious few seconds to search the drawers. 

"WHERE ARE YOU? BUZZ LIGHTYEAR?!" said Zurg.

There it was. A black yellow screwdriver that looked more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. Sweeping my hair out of my face in relief, I grabbed the screwdriver. 

Then I approached Zurg. "THERE!" I screamed, pointing away from me so that Zurg would turn around. There was just the sound of him firing his plasma balls when I tackled him, knocking the robot onto his face, as I scrambled to unscrew his control panel. 

"Come on, come on..." I muttered to myself.

"YOU TRICKED ME!" Zurg howled as I began to unscrew his back. Within seconds, I had gotten it open. 

"YOU INTERGALACTIC PEASAN..." screamed Zurg as I turned him off, and the robot went slack. I stabbed the huge batteries with my screwdriver just for good measure, and because I wanted to. 

I went to go check on Marcy. But she wasn't there. Confused, I scanned the room, coming face to face with...

"Impressive." said the blonde, a tall, regal, imposing young man who patted my head. "I was going to help... but I arrived too late."

This man was weirdly beautiful. For a second my teenage hormones got in the way, before I filed them into the compartment of "Unecessary Things. I wasn't a horny teenage girl, because that wasn't in my nature. It was just that this man was so beautiful, tall and lithe, like a dancer. His cheekbones look liked they could cut through diamonds. His jawline could probably cut the Earth in half. I normally didn't like to objectify or judge people by their looks, but acknowledging their good lucks wasn't bad, right? 

"Well, you can always help out with the next 9 challenges...that's allowed, right?" I asked, looking up at no one in particular.

"When there are no rules, you make them yourself." said the man, winking at me. 

I could feel myself blush, but I tampered it down, sticking out my hand. "Sam." I said.

"Alex." he said, shaking my hand. "And now we're partners. I've got your back..."

"And I've got yours. Let's tackle this next challenge!"


	3. Escape Room #Supermarket

Alex led me to the next room, a vast supermarket, motioning for me to fall behind him. It was probably wise, because the first thing that happened was that a crazy woman with a shopping cart tackled us. Alex jumped over the cart and the woman, in a front flip, because apparently he was a gymnast or something, and landed on the woman, knocking her down flat. 

“No!” screamed the woman, “You two are on my list!”

That’s when the stench hit me. The stench of rotting meat registers in my brain, and I look down at the shopping cart, seeing an assortment of fresh and rotten body parts in the shopping cart. I gagged, running past the woman. I kneeled down, taking her shopping list out of her hand. On the piece of paper, scrawled messily, were the words, “What can this White mom not handle?” 

“Spicy food?” I mused to myself. That was awfully racist. I wasn’t even white, nor a mom, so how would I know? That’s when a whole horde of crazy moms rushed into the store.

“Sam!” whisper-screamed Alex. “Don’t stand out in the open!” 

I nodded, running into the aisles, specifically the hot sauce aisle. I had an idea, that was equally stupid, but probably ingenious. The stench of rotten meat increased by ten-fold. 

“Found one!” screeched a mom, her shopping cart horrifically rolling along as dozens of women began to chase me as I ran through the aisles. I climbed up onto the top of an aisle, scrambling on top of some canned corn to gain higher ground. I swiped the canned food onto the women in a deadly assault. 

“ALEX!” I shouted. “GET SRIRACHA!” 

I could sense the confusion rolling off him in waves, but he ran to the spices aisle anyways.

I had my own problems to deal with at the present. Well, technically, both problems were interrelated. But I had about forty crazy mothers scrambling up shelves to attempt to eat me. Throwing cans of mysterious foods wasn’t going to work for long. 

Or maybe it would. But these women were relentless, clawing their way upwards until I had to switch positions. One of them grabbed me by the leg, a really tall woman who took me by the ankle and pulled me with all 240 pounds of her weight. I slipped off the aisle and narrowly missed falling into a shopping cart. The women began to pounce on me.

“I want the leg!” screamed one.

“Give me the forearm!” screamed another. 

“I want the left chest!” screamed one more. 

I screamed as they began to actually claw at me, ripping my jacket into shreds with their sharp, manicured nails. I didn’t have the chance to stand up, so I did a sweeping kick, knocking several women into their own shopping carts as they fell backwards, creating a temporary circle of space. Taking a shopping cart and pushing it towards a group of women with all my force, I grabbed a lady who charged me and flipped her over my shoulder, slamming her on a shopping cart. 

I wouldn’t be able to keep up for long. There were too many of them, and I simply needed to create a pathway out of there. But as soon as I created a marginal amount of space, more women filled the gap, like a self-healing human amoeba. It was annoying, to say the least. 

I was already half-dying, my lungs feeling like they were about to collapse, when Alex finally ran into the aisle, two huge containers of Sriracha.

“SAM!” he shouted. 

“Quick!” I yelled/huffed out. “Throw me a bottle.”

He launched of bottle of Sriracha in my face, and as he helped fight a pathway of feral women to get to me, I quickly unwrapped the Sriracha, and began squirting it at women. 

“Freaking Mothers!” I cursed, shoving Sriracha into the mouths of any woman who dared to get close to me. 

The effect was immediate. They and their shopping cart melted into the floor in horror as they screamed. “SO HOT! SO SPICY!” 

“Thanks for the compliment.” I said, smirking as the women went down like dominoes. Alex had already caught on and was firing Sriracha into women’s mouths with  
deadly accuracy, more accuracy than I could possibly imagine was possible. 

He was eliminating more women than I was, at quadruple the rate I was. 

“Sorry I didn’t come sooner!” he yelled over the screeching women.

“It’s fine!” I said. “Except not really! Any second more and I might’ve been butchered by these horrible people!”

“You’re bleeding.” he said, motioning to my arm, which had apparently been struck by a crazy manicured woman.

“Just a side effect of being surrounded by thirty women.” I said, throwing off my completely torn up hoodie to the side. “How do we get out of here?”

“I presume we just walk through the front doors.” he points towards the front doors. “But let’s see if there’s anything we can scavenge from this place. Like bandages.” 

He looked pointedly at my bloody arm, which would probably get infected with gangrene at this rate.

“So, Sam, where do you come from?” Alex asked, while we scavenged aisles for bandages.

“America?” I said. “Well, I’m ABC.” 

“Oh. I figured.” said Alex. “I’m from the Kingdom. This is probably a trial, of sorts. They like to spring them onto soldiers, to keep them on their toes.”

“So you’re in the army?” I said.

“Hmmm… yeah.” he said, grabbing a first aid kit. “Here, let’s get you all cleaned up.”

“Okay thanks.” I said, wincing as he poured alcohol all over my skin. 

“Do you have any more injuries?” he said. 

“No.” 

“Then, let’s go.” He tied off the bandage, and brushed my hair back. “Might wanna put that up.” He handed me a hair tie. 

I accepted it. “Thanks.” I tried my best not to notice how close he was. This guy was just too… everything! Too charming, too handsome… there was something about him that was just too good to be true. He couldn’t be more than 20, with his fresh face, and the glint of humor in his eyes. I looked into his eyes, electric blue eyes. There was something distinctly feminine and kind there, something that made me trust him completely. 

And he did save my life like five times.


	4. The Throne Room

Yeah, so turns out, that wasn’t the last of it. The supermarket had more in store for us. A lot more. Alex tackled me, both of us falling towards the floor, as the sounds of something whooshed over head. 

“Take cover!” he yelled, pulling me to the side as we scanned the room for the threat. 

Another butcher knife stuck itself in the aisle. 

Adrenaline started pumping in me. Where was the threat? I looked around frantically, as the onslaught of knives suddenly stopped. 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are, little piggy’s!” said a man. I almost gasped, but Alex covered my mouth as my eyes widened in surprise. 

He placed his index finger on his mouth, motioning for me to stay quiet. 

I nodded, fully understanding. The butcher had been to our right, so he peered to the right, snapping his head back. A knife stuck itself into the shelves mere seconds later. Any millisecond more and Alex would’ve been destroyed. 

“Piggy!” said the butcher gruffly, and I heard heavy footsteps. 

Alex stood up, and pulled on my hand, as we ran towards another aisle.

“Here’s what I need you to do.” he said, laying out the plan. “I want you to get him from behind, and tackle him down. I’ll do the rest.”

Ignoring my heartbeat, and the spike in blood pressure that caused, I nodded. Alex crept off somewhere else. If only I had x-ray vision, and I could see the butcher… but... 

“AGH!” I screamed as I realized the butcher was behind me, and not the other way around. 

“GET HERE LITTLE PIGGY!” he said, as I turned around and ducked, a knife flying towards me. I watched in slow motion as the knife flew towards my face, me ducking, but clearly it was already too late, and I was going to raise my arm, to at least save my head from being cut off, because I’d rather be armless than dead. It flew towards me, like a flying demon, ready to implant itself in my head.

Alex snatched the knife out of the air, appearing from nowhere, and quickly threw it back at the man, striking him right in the leg. 

I released a heavy breath I didn’t know I was holding. 

The man howled, and pulled the knife out of his leg. While he was distracted, I took the opportunity to actually tackle the man, as horrifying as that seemed. I raised my knee when I crashed into the butcher, knocking the fat man over as he howled, his one leg already unstable. 

“I need you to move!” said Alex as I grappled with the man, desperately fighting for control. The man had the upper hand, being stronger and bigger, and he smiled as he held a knife out to my neck. “I’m gonna slit your throat now, Piggy.” he said, smiling creepily, pressing the knife into my neck, already nicking it a bit. I did not want to die. 

I stomped on his injured leg and he groaned, falling back. I jumped back, giving Alex an opening to strike. Alex came in, striking the man in the face with a butcher knife. There was a sickening crunch. I looked away, not wanting to see the gruesome sight. As the man went slack, I stood up, trying not to look at the man. 

I was breathing really hard, seeing stars. Alex came up to me. “Are you alright?”

I gave him the thumbs-up. After a few seconds, I caught my breath. “I’ve never… been in mortal peril. Or tackled someone who actively tried to kill me. This is a first.” I grinned, feeling the adrenaline wear off. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Alex grinned, sweeping his blonde hair back. “For your first time, you’re taking it surprisingly well.” 

“I think I’m gratified I’m alive. Though it’s probably because you’re here.”

“We’re partners now, to the end!” he said. “But even if I weren’t here,” he looked into my eyes, suddenly closer, sweeping a lock of hair back. “I’m sure you would still survive.”

I blushed. “Thanks, Alex.”

“Ahem.” said a man, the ringmaster. “The trials are over. You, sir, are to wait here. I will be taking the girl first.”

Alex smiled. “Alright.” 

Then without a goodbye, but a knowing smirk, Alex stepped back, allowing me to leave the escape room. 

The ringmaster lead me through another dark tunnel, this time appearing in a throne room. 

“What’s this?” I asked, looking around me, seeing the purple and blue crest on the walls, and the king and queen on their throne.

The ringmaster kneeled, pulling me down so that I would kneel, as well. 

Instead, when the ringmaster pulled me down, I fell over on my face, causing the king to laugh, and the queen to grimace.

“You can stop kneeling, or whatever the foreigner is doing.” boomed the king.

The court laughed. I stood up, my face red.

“Welcome, to the Kingdom, foreigner.” he said.

I rolled my eyes. Made sense. Only the Kingdom would do something as stupid as this. 

“I’m sure you are aware that you have passed the challenge. Commander Genevieve, do make your presence known.” the King said.

A tall, pretty young woman stepped out of the shadows. No way… “Good morning, Sam.” Alex said. No… Genevieve.

I was about to face palm. Great. 

“Genevieve, you may leave.” Genevieve slipped back into the shadows, eyes twinkling.

“Since you have passed the challenges put in front of you, you may now choose to join Genevieve’s squadron of special forces, or…” his eyes twinkled. “You can choose to die.”

“What?” I said. “What type of offer is that?”

“The Kingdom offer.” said the King. “I presume you will join Genevieve’s squadron?”

I nodded. 

“Great! I will send you to training bright and early!”

I groaned with barely concealed disgust. “You can’t just take an American and make them into your loyal killing servant!” 

“But,” the king said. “I just did!”

The Queen looked at me, her brunette features, stern face slightly scaring me. She leaned over to whisper to the king.

“Genevieve! Take your new ‘killing servant’ to the barracks!”

Genevieve comes out of the shadows, again. “Follow me.” she said. 


	5. Trapped

Genevieve comes out of the shadows, again. “Follow me.” she said.

Despite the fact that she was now a… well, she, she was still undeniably beautiful. And I hated it. Because she gave me a knowing smile, and led me off to who knows where, the castle impossibly big.

“I thought you were a dude.” I said, once I caught up to her.

“I am. For all intent and purposes, when I’m in the outside world, I am Commander Alex.”

“So why are you…”

“My parents find it hard to cope with the fact that I am the leader of the best squadron in the army.” she said, “And so, they have come up with an alias. It was all my mother’s idea. Outside of the palace, I am Commander Alex.” 

“But inside, I must refer to you as Genevieve?” I said. “I’m confused.” But, I pushed back all the conflicting feelings. “How did I even get here?”

“Ask my mother.” she said. 

“But why me?” I said. “I’m literally your average American teenager.”

“I was sixteen when I was conscripted.” said the woman, turning to face me.

“Yeah, but clearly you’re not average.” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re like six foot! I’m a head or two shorter! You’re insanely smart and beautiful, and whatever!”

“And whatever?” she said, smirking. “That’s a weird way to compliment someone. And who says that you aren’t the same? There’s a reason you survived the escape rooms.”

“Yeah.” I said. “You.” I switched topics. “What’s training like? Am I going to die?”

“Hmm... it depends. If you’re to be in my squadron, you’re probably going to be sent to my aunt. The Duchess.” She grimaced, remembering something horrible.

“Is that bad?” I asked.

“I can help supplement your education.” she offered. “My parents aren’t going to send you to her right away. The rest of my squadron is out on winter vacation, anyways.”

I nodded. “Okay. Wait. Shouldn’t you be on winter vacation, too?”

“I had… complications this winter.” she said.

“Fun.” I said. “If only complications were simpler. You know?”

She rolls her eyes. “They’re called complications for a reason.”

“That’s no fun!” I said. “You should be outside rolling around in the snow like the normal twenty-something…”

“Twenty.” 

“Old lady.” I smirked. We turned into the barracks, the women’s barracks.

“Here’s your new home.” she said, pointing towards the bland room.

“Yeah.” I said, suddenly serious. Home. I missed my mother. My father. My two siblings. My two annoying, obnoxious twin sisters who loved to draw on my bunk bed and… 

It was useless to dwell on such things. They only made me want to cry. I would focus on the present. My new life. I hoped my family was well. 

I could cry when people weren’t around. Despite the fact that I liked and somewhat trusted Genevieve, I still didn’t really trust her with my deepest, darkest secrets. 

Genevieve seemed to recognize that I needed some time alone. “I’ll pick you up in thirty minutes for food, okay? Take a shower. Clothes are in the cabinet.” She looked around. “I’ll be lurking around here somewhere if you need me.” She shrugged. “There’s nothing to do, because everyone is on vacation.”

“Okay.” I said. 

She left, closing the door behind her. 

That’s when I let everything hit me. My anger and frustration, my homesickness. I hated everything. I hated this. I hated the King, the Kingdom, the Queen.

And I needed to get out. I needed to contact American authorities, and I needed to leave. I wasn’t going to let these people turn me into their soldier, so that they could conquer the rest of the world.

Because we all knew it was coming. It was what was whispered every single day in history class. The Kingdom was going to find some way to take over. 

But why me? 

I decided I was going to take a shower. I opened the cabinet, grabbing clothes, and walking into the showers. 

I cried in the showers with frustration. Freaking Kingdom. I wasn’t allowed to option of growing up, and going to college, or of finishing high school, and watching my siblings grow up. I didn’t understand why I was here, how long I would be here for. I didn’t know anything. I was in a new land, a new place, with strangers. I didn’t know if I would survive, if this was just one huge trap. 

I looked out the window, searching for any possible escape routes.

Then, I heard someone walk into the room. I quickly got dressed, toweling off my wet hair, and walked out, still tying my shoes. “Genevieve?”

It was her mother. The Queen. 

“What are you doing here?” I said, taking a step back.

“Follow me.” she said. I nodded, walking with her up spiraling steps, as if we were going to the tallest tower. Which we were. 

She motioned to the window, where a rope lay. “You were trying to find a way to escape, weren’t you?”

I nodded, caught off guard. She smirks like she confirmed a fact. 

“I don’t like you.” said the Queen. “I don’t like you, nor the fact that both my husband and my daughter seem so taken with you, nor the fact that you’re a rude, ungrateful bastard who refuses to be grateful at this wonderful opportunity.”

“What makes you think that?” I said, leaning against a wall. 

“You may be cute, and you may look innocent, but we both know you’re planning on escaping.” she said, coming closer to me. “But let me tell you this. Would you still escape if I told you your parents offered you to us?” 

“Yeah, because they didn’t?” I said, uncomfortable.

“But,” she smiled. “They did. The government did. Your parents did, once they realized what you had done.” 

“But.” I said. “They wouldn’t! The government wouldn’t notice me because they’re too important to care, and my parents love me.”

“So self-assured.” she said, grabbing my arm, towering over me. “My husband sent me here to check up on you. I know that look. It’s the look of somebody trying to escape. I once wore that look, when I was first engaged to him.” she grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up to her. “Little girl, I came here as a warning.” she smiled widely, tucking something into my back pocket. “You won’t escape because you can’t escape. You will serve our kingdom, because it’s the only thing you can do.” She shoved me against the wall, locking my arms into place.

“What?” I said. “Where is all this coming from? What did I ever do to you?” I suddenly felt tendrils of fear creeping into my heart. “Isn’t it enough that you guys took me from my family?”

“No.” she said. “I know girls like you. People like you.” She rips my shirt off, with a thick knife. “So I must brand you.”

“Oh. So that whole speech was for dramatics.” I said. “Great. You’re a wonderful queen, you know that? Ripping off my shirt, lying to me, blah blah blah.”

I felt a burst of pain as she slapped me, her nails hitting the side of my face as I hit the stone wall with the back of my head. My lip was busted. “But why me? Out of all people, why not someone more competent?” I asked as soon as I recovered. I would not appear weak in front of this woman “Why am I chosen for this role? I’m so confused. If you’re gonna enslave me, at least answer my questions.”

“Bold little girl.” she said. “But…” she picked up my hand. “You’re clearly quaking in fear. Stay still.”

And she flipped me around, pinning me to the wall, and stuck something at the top of my back and the bottom of my neck.

I screamed, as the pain came over me in waves, as something kept stabbing my neck over and over, and I tried to move, but the Queen was too strong. It was like a hot thick knife, stabbing me over and over and over again, scratching something onto my skin.

“Back in my day, I was a tattoo artist.” she said. “But I find for all intents and purposes, the stamp is much more fun.”

I realized what she had done, my neck throbbing. “Should I feel lucky, then, that the King sent his wife to do his dirty work?”

She unchained me, and all the fight went out, and I collapsed on the floor, breathing hard as my whole entire back throbbed. 

I heard a iphone camera click.

“Like it?” she said. It was a tattoo of a dragon. Property of the Kingdom. Was engraved all around it. 

I felt a stone settle in my stomach. I growled, frustrated, pushing back to my feet. “What the Heck is wrong with you?” I said, grabbing onto the woman. “Who do you think you are?”

“I’m the Queen.” she said, pushing me back. “And you, my dear, have been gifted to us by your relatives in China. You know, because your disgraced mother was a runaway princess, and out of the three siblings, you were the prettiest. So the King chose you. Now, compose yourself.” she said, throwing a new shirt at me. “And put this on. We’re going back downstairs.”

I arrived back in the barracks. The only evidence of the altercation was the tattoo on my back, the stinging of my lip, and the horror in my brain. I didn’t think my mother would be found. She had hidden for so long. It was barely half a day, and already my life had been ruined. Completely turned around. And so that I would maintain peace, I had to be the Kingdom’s loyal slave. Everything was looking a lot worse for me. 


End file.
